Rites of August First

The book explores the significance of "August First Day," a celebration marking the abolition of colonial slavery in the British Empire in 1834. This annual event became vital for people of African descent across the northern U.S., the British Caribbean, Canada West, and the U.K., fostering solidarity and mobilization against American slavery. J. R. Kerr-Ritchie offers a comprehensive analysis of the celebration's origins, its cultural impact, and its role in the broader context of the Anglo-American emancipation movement.